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Seedling development and biomass as affected by seed size and morphology in durum wheat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2003

N. APARICIO
Affiliation:
Area de Conreus Extensius, Centre UdL-IRTA, Rovira Roure 177, 25198 Lleida, Spain
D. VILLEGAS
Affiliation:
Area de Conreus Extensius, Centre UdL-IRTA, Rovira Roure 177, 25198 Lleida, Spain
J. L. ARAUS
Affiliation:
Unitat de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
R. BLANCO
Affiliation:
Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida, Rovira Roure 177, 25198 Lleida, Spain
C. ROYO
Affiliation:
Area de Conreus Extensius, Centre UdL-IRTA, Rovira Roure 177, 25198 Lleida, Spain

Abstract

This work evaluated the effect of seed size and morphology on the development and biomass of durum wheat seedlings. Three different seed-grading sizes selected by sieving were used in glasshouse experiments, and a set of three developmental and 23 biomass-related indices were measured on eight genotypes, at two moisture levels. The influence of seed size on seedling development was studied at high and low temperatures (22/12 °C, and 15/5 °C day/night temperatures, respectively), in growth chambers.

The area of the seed and the area of the embryo were the seed morphological traits most affected by seed size. Seed size was strongly associated with seedling development and seedling biomass until the complete extension of the first two leaves, at the fourth leaf stage. The rate of first-leaf growth and the area of the first leaf were the developmental and biomass traits, respectively, most sensitive to seed-grading size.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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